This invention relates to a door securing mechanism and, more specifically, to a door securing mechanism actuatable from a remote station.
It is necessary in various applications to securely retain a door against its frame in such a way that forces tending to open the door do not tend to open or release the securing mechanism. Additionally, many applications require that the door securing mechanism be capable of actuation from a remote station.
Typical of such an application is a door located at the boundary of a nuclear reactor containment pool which seals the containment pool from a fuel transfer tunnel leading from the containment pool to a spent fuel storage pool. The storage pool is usually in a building separate from the containment pool and may have a second door at its boundary to isolate the storage pool from the tunnel.
The doors at either end of the fuel transfer tunnel provide a means of positively isolating the reactor containment pool from the spent fuel storage pool during operation of the reactor, and allow access to the tunnel during refueling operations. It is necessary that the integrity of the seals at the tunnel ends be capable of testing during reactor operation.
The doors are typically located substantially below the water level of each of the respective pools and must be capable of remote actuation with minimal effort, and should require only minimal maintenance. Further, the doors must be secure during seismic disturbances as well as during normal operation.